Cyber anxiety on the rise in the UK

A new study reveals that 56 percent of UK adults are more worried over potential cyberattacks since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The study from Illumio surveyed 2,000 people to understand their attitudes towards cybersecurity and finds only 47 percent are confident in central government's capabilities to ward off digital threats effectively and just 35 percent have confidence in local government.

In addition, 53 percent feel increased cyber anxiety over the impact of a cyberattack on them personally. Banking systems are seen as under the greatest risk, followed by central government, financial services like insurance, and transportation systems.

These fears are likely to be driven by the fact that 40 percent of incidents addressed by the National Cyber Security Centre last year targeted the public sector. Central and local government bodies reported more attacks last year than at any other time.

Trevor Dearing, director of critical infrastructure at Illumio, says:

We must trust so many organizations with our data in our daily lives, so as the public become more concerned about the risks they face, it is only natural that more public bodies come under the spotlight.

The government must maintain public confidence in security, and the first step must be an increase in focus and resources for cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is no longer about building a moat to protect the outer wall. Attackers will get in, so the question security leaders face is how they stay resilient and protect systems and public data should a breach occur. Stringent authentication for all network movement is a must-have for organizations, using Zero Trust principles to block attackers from moving through the network after an initial breach.

You can find out more on the Illumio site.

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